Hero
by alwaysuptonogood
Summary: Set after Harry blacks out after his fight with Quirrell in SS, Trio friendship/bonding fic. Ever wonder what happened while Harry was asleep in the hospital wing, and how he came to be there? One shot.


**Hey! Missing moment here, because I am just SO totally addicted to them =D I wrote this a while back actually, three or four years ago, and so please don't diss it! Lol XD Anyway, I know that the injuries etc. aren't canon, so it is just a teeny tiny but A/U but this is how I like to think it happened in my head. I am a sucker for any Harry/Ron/Hermione friendship/bonding fics. Oh, and I am so totally over the moon here, I was just appointed an archivist on SIYE! Check it out, it is an amazing fan fiction site, but it's mainly focused on the H/G relationship. **

**Disclaimer:~ If I was amazing, blond, talented, imaginative etc....I would not have posted my stories of ! Harry Potter belongs to the **_**AMAZING**_** JK Rowling. I ain't her. Believe me. Wishing stars don't work!! *sob**sob* **

'Professor? Professor, is Harry going to be okay?'

Dumbledore stayed silent and Hermione groaned in anticipation – or anticipating the worst maybe. Her best friend was down there fighting for his life while Ron was half conscious in her arms. The room was completely dark apart from the glow of a harp playing softly by one of three dog heads.

'Wazgoinon?' mumbled Ron, shaking his head as he awoke.

Hermione made a small whimpering noise. 'Harry's down in the last chamber. On his own, and don't worry, the dog's asleep.'

Ron frowned and turned from the dog, as though he had no idea what was going on still. When he noticed Dumbledore, he turned back to Hermione. 'Erm, Hermione, why is Professor Dumbledore in here?'

'He's going to help Harry. Well, I think he is anyway.'

She didn't seem too convinced herself.

'Of course I'm going to Miss Granger,' Dumbledore said calmly, with only a hint of concern in his voice, very well hidden. This caused Hermione to blush slightly. I just need to figure out, ah, of course.' He fired a jet of purple light from his wand which made the Devil's Snare groan and shrivel up. He watched as it died and then turned back to the two First Year students.

'I'm going to go down to get Harry. Don't worry and stay here. Try to muffle Mr Weasley's bleeding, Miss Granger, use some of your robes. I'll be back in an hour: with or without Harry to check on the two of you and make sure that the harp keeps on playing. I have a feeling that Fluffy will not be amused to find you in his room.'

Hermione smiled weakly and watched as the Headmaster lowered himself through the trapdoor. Ron sat up and rubbed his eyes. 'What do we do now?' he asked nervously. Hermione stuttered for a moment. 'We wait.'

*****

One and a half hours later, Hermione was worried. The Headmaster had promised to be back in an hour: with or without Harry. Was it that they were both dead? _No_, she thought; _don't think that, of course they aren't._ So where were they?

BANG.

The trapdoor was flung open and Dumbledore appeared, his face scratched but otherwise unharmed. His eyes were burning with a mixture of hatred and fury which made Hermione shrivel back only slightly, before she launched herself and Ron forwards so they could help more.

Ron seemed to understand, and he threw aside the robes; the bleeding had ceased ever so slightly, and he threw the trapdoor open further, right against the floor so Dumbledore could get out. As soon as Dumbledore was in full sight, they both started.

'What happened? Where's Harry? Is he OK?'

Dumbledore nodded and then stammered and shook his head wildly. 'Help me,' he mumbled, sounding...helpless, for once, and Hermione and Ron helped him climb out, and then reached down to pull out a small figure Hermione recognised as Harry.

'Oh my god, he's safe! He's alive, I knew he...' Hermione's voice trailed off as she looked at Ron anxiously, fearing the worst. Harry was scratched and bleeding, and his skin looked like merely paper against his bones, despite the fact he had been healthy before going beyond the trapdoor.

'What's wrong with him? He's not...' Ron muttered, but his voice, too, seemed to fade away with a lack of confidence. Hermione made another small whimpering noise.

'No, he's not dead. Just help me with him, please.' Dumbledore's voice was calm, as per the usual. Didn't anything get him annoyed? But his eyes were still full of the burning hatred.

They pulled Harry's body out. He was bloody and his scar was practically _glowing_ red. Clutched in his hand, was a small, shiny red stone, which was chipped and scorched. Ron stared at it, his head tilted slightly, as though he were disappointed.

Hermione's whimpering caught in her throat as she saw it. 'Is that _it_?' she asked, but the emphasis on the word it was not disappointment, but fear. It was because of this _stupid _stone that they had gone down there in the first place, got into so much trouble, risked their lives for... and for what? To be landed with an almost-dead Harry?

Dumbledore nodded. 'Harry fought for it bravely, braver than most fully grown men would have fought. It was not Severus down there, as I am sure you falsely suspected, it was Professor Quirrell; or, may I say more correctly, Lord Voldemort.'

Ron and Hermione flinched at the name but both still gasped. 'You Know Who? I thought he didn't have a body?' Hermione said nervously, her breath catching in her throat with every movement, no matter how small.

'No, he doesn't.'

'But then how-'

'He was possessing Professor Quirrell, who is unfortunately now dead.' Dumbledore's eyes didn't seem at all 'unfortunate.' Flames of hatred still seemed to burn in them, even if it was dying slowly and slightly.

Hermione looked astonished while Ron stared at Harry, whose eyes were now chattering open slowly and hesitantly.

'Harry- Harry, what is it?' asked Dumbledore hurriedly, leaning forwards. The hatred had now gone and was replaced by burning curiosity and worry, both emotions tied together.

'Voldemort. Liar.' Harry muttered this and then closed his eyes indefinitely as his body went limp. Hermione moved her hand onto his wrist, checking for a faint pulse, just to be sure. She wasn't taking any chances.

'What does he mean by that?' asked Ron shakily, as Dumbledore prised the stone gently out of Harry's hand, which shook as it left his hand before clenching into a tight fist, turning his knuckles even whiter than they were before.

'I'm guessing that Voldemort told him something. Something I'm sure that Harry wouldn't like to hear. Something about his parents probably.'

Hermione nodded in understanding and pulled Harry up, but Ron shook his head and took his arm off of her.

'I'll carry him,' he muttered. Hermione smiled weakly.

'Shall we help you take him to the Hospital wing, er, sir?'

Dumbledore nodded and took Harry's shoulder. 'Let's go, but quickly, students will now be awake and going to breakfast. I daresay Poppy will be interested in your injuries too.'

Sure enough, the corridor was full of people. Everyone gasped when they saw Harry unconscious and Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron bloody and swollen.

'Harry Potter?! What's happened?'

'That blood kid's gone and got himself banged up – _again_.'

Dumbledore glared at any passersby who were talking about Harry and the crowd immediately retreated.

Ten minutes later, they entered the Hospital Wing, Ron and Hermione panting slightly, but Dumbledore looking determined. He was now practically carrying Harry on his own, as Ron had almost tripped all of them down the stairs on the staircase below.

'Albus, I - dear Lord, Albus - what's happened? Who is – of course, Mr Potter, but what on earth's happened? The boy's been battered! Help me get him onto a bed you two.'

Hermione and Ron immediately pulled Harry gently onto the farthest bed from the door so no one could see him.

'Harry has been severely injured, Poppy. I'm sure you recall the safety measures for the Philosopher's Stone?'

Madame Pomfrey gasped. 'He didn't try to go after it?'

'No, no, of course not,' Dumbledore snapped. 'He went to protect it, Poppy!' The awe was clear in his voice even now.

'Against who Albus? Another student?'

Dumbledore stammered as he looked briefly from Harry, to Ron, to Hermione. 'It was Lord Voldemort.'

Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened and she immediately pounced on Harry. 'He survived? Well I suppose he is the god-damned Harry Potter, isn't he? And you two, into those two beds beside him. Now. You're both staying in overnight; I don't care if all you've got is a headache, you will not leave this hospital until I say so.'

Ron took the bed on Harry's left while Hermione took the one on his right. Madame Pomfrey pushed back Harry's hair and placed a hand on his forehead. She quickly pulled back from it when she felt his scar. Hermione stared at Harry nervously from beneath her covers in which she had buried herself. She wanted to fall asleep, but she knew sleep wouldn't come to her that easy. Not now.

'Dear God, Albus!'

Dumbledore nodded wisely. 'Yes, I thought it would. It's perfectly normal Poppy.'

Madame Pomfrey frowned, muttering something about 'normal' but nodded anyway. She scanned Harry quickly with her wand and placed a hand just below his knee. 'His legs badly broken and I think he's torn some of the muscles. He'll need a cast on that for the next two or three weeks. The same with his left arm, I'm afraid. And – tut, tut, a broken his jaw. A bit of skele-gro mixed in with Pumpkin juice for the next week will do the trick – that jaw will probably heel fastest - and he may be in a short coma. However with this boy – if he even _is _one at that - the possibilities are endless. For all I know, he could be fit as a fiddle by dinner time, going back to whatever this boy does to get into trouble.'

Dumbledore nodded again and swiftly turned to Ron and Hermione.

'I need to go now, but please send for me when Harry does awake because I wish to talk to him.'

They both nodded and Madame Pomfrey scanned them both briskly.

'Mr Weasley; you have a mild concussion and your arm's also quite badly broken. Your nose has also suffered a blow – I'm afraid you'll have to have a dose or two of skele-gro. Miss Granger, you're not that bad. You also have a mild concussion, but _very_ mild mind you. You've sprained your wrist slightly, but a simple charm will sort that out in a trifle.'

Ron smiled slightly and glanced at Hermione, who was also smiling a little triumphantly as Madam Pomfrey bustled over to a cabinet in the corner. They had actually managed to do the impossible and find the stone, with almost no chance of any adult witch or wizard getting beyond even the first Chamber. Harry stirred slightly in his sleep, oblivious to any of his surroundings, and Ron chuckled softly, staring at the ceiling.

A right hero.


End file.
